This invention relates in general to a technique for storing a text in electronic memory and to the associated techniques for reading and searching that memory.
More particularly, this invention relates to a technique for storing a text in electronic memory in a fashion that provides significant compression so that less memory is involved and which also permits searching as well as reading of the text.
There are many storage compression techniques known in the art and used by those skilled in the art to store text material in electronic memory. Many texts, for example the Bible, are useful only if the electronic storage device provides electronic search capabilities. For example, one may want to find all instances of the use of a particular word or phrase or instances where two or more words are used close to one another. In general, search techniques to achieve such results are also well known in the art.
To provide a substantial text such as the Bible in a convenient hand-held format, extensive compression techniques are required. A highly extensive compression technique serves the purpose of providing a smaller product, and a less expensive product.
Accordingly, the major purpose of this invention is to provide an enhanced compression technique for a text which is adapted to be used in both a reading mode and a search mode.
Prior art techniques of text storage which provides reading and search capability require two substantial files which are essentially redundant. There is one large file for the text and a second large file which serves to index the text. And, of course, there are all sorts of auxiliary files much less extensive than the two large files that are necessary to provide both reading and searching capability.
Accordingly, a more particular purpose of this invention is to provide a text storage technique which reduces the redundancy in the prior art techniques while providing both a reading mode and a fast search mode.